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Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Al Qaeda top leaders move to new hideouts and 6 operatives arrested

By Nasser Arrabyee,13/12/2011

The Yemen two top leaders of Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsular (AQAP) left their hideouts in the southern province of Shabwah to new hideouts in the north-east province Al Jawf, said local sources on Tuesday.

The sources said that the Yemeni Nasser Al Wahayshi (top leader of AQAP) and Saudi Saeed Al Shehri (deputy) left Shabwah early this month to unknown new hideouts in Al Jawaf and Mareb where recruiting and training young people has become easier than any other places.

The sources added that hundreds of young people were sent from Al Jawf and Mareb to Al Qaeda-held towns in the south like Jaar, Zinjubar, in Abyan and Al Huta in Shabwah over the last six months.

"We believe there is some kind of training now in the two desert provinces of Al Jawaf and Mareb , maybe this is why the leaders moved there," said the sources.

On September 30th, 2011, the Yemeni American cleric, Anwar Al Awlaki, who was the most wanted terrorist for the US, was killed with three other operatives by a US drone in Al Jawf where important meetings were held.

Earlier Tuesday, a total of six Al Qaeda operatives including the Al Qaeda leader in Al Jawf province, were arrested according to an official statement by the ministry of interior.

The terrorist group were planning to assassinate senior officials and attack government installations and western embassies and interests.

Musaad Mohammed Ahmed Naji Al Barbari, the leader of Al Qaeda in Al Jawf province, 200km north-east of the capital Sanaa, was one of the six terrorists.

Al Barbari led an operation to attack the Sanaa international airport in January,19th, 2009.

The arrest was the first operation implemented against Al Qaeda by the ministry of interior under the leadership of the new minister, Abdul Qader Qahtan who is from the opposition side in the opposition-chaired new government.

The ministry of interior published their full names and photos. The group was also recruiting young people and sending them to fight with Al Qaeda against the government troops in the southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwah.The other five were identified as Mohammed Hussein Mohammed Musyab, Mohammed Abdul Qader Ahmed Al Shehri, Nader Ahmed Mohammed Al Qubati, Mohammed Muthana Ali Mohammed Al Ammari, and Abdul Munem Hamid Ali Abu Ghanim.